Mike's dying screams of pain echoed in Melanie's mind as she took off. She felt his blood hit her back and her hair. Tears streaked down her cheeks. Melanie was truly scared now, all alone, with a proposed madman wanting to kill her. Her head hurt and the blood... Oh god, the blood!

She jumped into a tree, sitting on a branch, needing to take a moment for her emotions to calm down. Her control was hanging by a thread and her body was in immense pain from it. The irony was hilarious. Usually she was unable to be at ease until she was alone. Now she was alone, and she feared she would break down.

Melanie took a few breaths, only managing to calm down a little bit. But there was no more time for a break. Gripping the gun, the young woman took off again, this time staying away from the game, depending solely on parkour and free running to stay in the trees. It would not take long before she would be forced to use her abilities to try and stop the hunter.

The thought of killing him still sickened her.

Eltiask sprinted off, chasing the woman. In that state, the hunter was able to do anything just to see his goals fulfilled. An uncontrollable lust for blood had completely clouded the hunter's senses, causing his most feral instincts to take control of his mind and his body. He held his knight tightly in his left hand, pushing away from his path branches with his right arm. He needed to catch her, he needed to squeeze the life out of her body and stare directly into her eyes as her soul faded away. Instinctively, the hunter roared menacingly. He was roaming his land, and he was ready to hunt down anyone.

Soon enough. the hunter was running right below the woman. He just needed to catch her, and he knew it was going to be a matter of seconds before she either fell or became too tired to keep on moving. "Your time has come!"

Melanie knew responding would just give him another edge over her. So she remained silent, only focusing on the trees and trying to get from one to another as quick as possible. Her plan would only buy her a short amount of time. She had to go on the offensive. Which is basically impossible!

Then again, maybe talking would work.

"Why are you doing this?" she yelled, leaping onto another branch. She stopped and leaned against the trunk, the gun up and ready to fire. She needed rest; her body was completely drained from the night before.

"What does this get you?"

Melanie hoped that reasoning with him would stop him. It was a foolish hope. She got the feeling that it would not work, and maybe would entice him even more.

The sound he emitted while chasing her was more animal than human. It echoed in her mind the exact same way that Mike's final cry did. Melanie shuddered. Oh god.

The woman had hidden behind a tree, as if by doing so she would magically disappear. When she stopped, Eltiask sheathed his knife and took once more his bow from over his shoulders, prepared an arrow and aimed. She had to come out sooner or later, and he was going to wait all the time needed to end his game. Then, she replied. "Why am I doing this? What does it even matter to you? WHY WOULD IT MATTER TO ANYONE?!"

Eltiask tensed his string even more and steadied his arms. Why were they even shaking on the first place? He inhaled deeply and tried to keep control of the situation, just as it was meant to be. "What I do is my own business. I do what I do because I have to and I want to. Everything will return back to normal once you're dead, and there will be no second chance this time."

"You're trying to kill me; of course it would matter!" Melanie took a calming breath, sitting in the tree, absolutely refusing to move a single inch. She knew it would instantly give her way. She held the gun close to her, her lifeline.

"When you are trying to kill me, what you do becomes my business. I'm sorry, but I will not let you kill me. Not now, not ever." Melanie closed her breath, her mind slipping into a state that was far too dangerous. There was pain, but that didn't matter. She was created to be a super-soldier. Physically, she was capable of doing real harm, but emotionally, she was not. She had to survive.

I have to survive.

When Melanie opened her eyes again, they were amber. Her mind reached out to the hunter, locating him and bearing down on him. She tried to give him a push in the other direction, a gentle persuasion to leave her be.

"I'm not asking for your permission, my sweet girl. I'm warning you: you'll be dead before midday." Stealthily, Eltiaks began to creep closer to the tree, trying to surround it and shoot straight for her heart the moment she came into his view. He inhaled deeply and then held his breath, pacing carefully while tracing a circular trajectory around the tree. There was something odd, though. His arms kept on trembling gently. This little detail unsettled the hunter deeply since never had he suffered from trembling arms. "Calm down, you idiot! You're gonna screw everything up!"

Then, something hit him. It wasn't something physical, otherwise he would've foreseen it. It was something... "Mental?" Just as Eltiask was processing this information, said energy pushed him, causing him to back two steps and lower his bow. The hunter stared at the woman and glared, his eyes showing his complete rage and despise towards her. "This is it. It ends now!" He readied his bow and, in one swift movement, dashed all the way to face the woman, aimed, and shot. In a far corner of his mind, though, he was just hoping his arrow hit her heart.

Survival instincts immediately took over. Her abilities took hold while her mind expanded. Melanie's eyes turned silver as a burst of energy radiated outward from her body, knocking back the arrow headed towards her heart. It expanded, pushing the hunter away as well.

It was out of control now. Melanie felt an unbearable pain on her entire body, as if her very being was being torn to shreds. Her mind pulsed, and the force honed in on the one person who threatened her very life. It targeted his mind, crushing it and trying to take complete control.

Melanie's very soul protested the immense pain she was experiencing, as well as the pain she knew she was causing. Enough! It was a message to both him and her. Just a warning. I can't have another death at my hands. Her essence pushed forth, reclaiming her body and mind, cutting off the hold she had on the hunter, and causing her to drop to the ground. With the little energy she had left, Melanie used the energy to soften her fall.

She lay there, completely drained, tears streaming down her face. Waves of pain coursed through her body, protesting the loss of control. She was vulnerable now. Please don't kill me, she sent out. One final plea.

"What the-" Before the hunter could even finish his phrase, he was knocked off his feet by a telekinetic outburst and demonstration of powers. Eltiask was sent flying backwards until he collided with an old tree trunk, forcing him to expel the few air he had in his lungs. Once he fell down, he raised his head shakily to observe the woman. She was floating in the middle of nothing, her eyes shining with a silvery light. However, that was all the hunter could see. Before he could do anything else due to his lack of oxygen, all the telekinetic energy homed in right on him and on his mind. It caused such pain that Eltiask roared in desperation and held his head in pain, feeling how everything he had built his world upon started to crumble and long-lost memories began to resurface.

A child, sitting at the corner of a dusty and littered room. Crying, he held tightly to a ragged teddy bear, as if he was his salvation. Behind a broken door, screaming could be heard, as well as crying and shouts of pain. It seemed someone was hitting a woman.

A young teenager, hoodie on walking by another guy's side. He seemed distant, and had huge bags under his eyes. It seemed he hadn't slept at all. The guy next to him smiled and tried to cheer him up, but to no avail. All he got was a mere glance.

An older teenager now. It was night. He roamed a dark street carelessly. Some thugs showed up. They beat him down. He didn't even fight back. Then, it forwards to a hospital. No one ever came to check on him.

A funeral. The same teenager, dressed in an old suit. He was crying, and held only a single flower. No one was around him to comfort him.

An older teenager, just a young adult. He's standing in some barracks, full attention. The memory forwards to a lab. Pain, too much pain. Pain and rage. Isolation, desperation, hopelessness. Wrath.

"J-just stop it..." Tears were streaming down the hunter's eyes, which had turned into a shining turquoise color. He was holding himself in pain and sadness, holding his head in a vain attempt to block all that stream of memories which threatened to end his life. He was hyperventilating. All his wrath and fury had disappeared without warning, leaving only a broken man behind.

With all the energy he was able to muster, Eltiask stood up and stumbled away, leaving his bow behind. He had to get away from there, otherwise his own mind might kill him on the spot.

She wasn't sure exactly how long she laid there, staring up to the sky, trying to breathe and trying to get her energy back. Her body was wrought with pain and her soul was wrought with sadness. Tears continued to escape, due to her complete empathy. Now that there was a channel between his mind and hers, Melanie was completely vulnerable.

The memories that were completely his own flooded her. The loneliness, the absence of a true family, they were things Melanie never experienced. She was adopted, but her own family loved her to death. She was the only girl, and the youngest of five. The little princess. The only thing they shared was the experiments. Melanie knew they happened to her, but they occurred when she was young, not even five. She knew the fact, but never remembered the experience. And him, she saw his memories of the lab and immediately her mind expelled it, a safety mechanism.

Finally she mustered enough energy to pull herself up. Leaning against the tree, Melanie wiped at her cheeks and eyes, hoping the tears would go away. She couldn't help but feel for the man now, who only hours ago, killed four people and almost killed her. What am I doing?

Another few breaths and she was stumbling her way through the forest, her mind continuously playing those images while her heart wept for the hunter. She caught his name somewhere in all that chaos. Eltiask. A call of some sorts.

"Eltiask..."

The hunter shivered when that soft message reached his mind. He also winced in pain. His breathing had eased down a bit, but his whole body was tense. Where was he? Slowly, he turned his head just to find out he was sitting in a small cave, his back resting on the wall. Little sunlight dared to enter the cave, so he was left in twilight. His eyes were still watery, tears were running down his cheeks freely. He had his legs pulled up to his chest and, clutched tightly in his left hand, he held his survival knife just as the child in the memories would hold his teddy bear: it was his sole salvation.

Eltiask couldn't point out how he knew it, but he knew she was looking for him. Instinctively, he reached over his shoulder to grab his bow, but noticed it was gone. All he had was his quiver lying next to him, its dark arrows sticking out of it just as ethereal spikes had pierced his soul. He sighed and, in a turn of events no one would have ever expected, resigned. If she was going to kill him, then so be it. He wasn't prepared to die, but he didn't want to keep on living. He sighed deeply and then hung his head low. "My bow..."

What had gone wrong? He knew his life had been nothing but good, but he still desired to keep on living. However, when he enrolled at the Army... What had happened? Unwillingly, Eltiask's massive frame convulsed rhythmically, giving away the tears he wasn't showing to the world. "Why?" All his pain and suffering... Had they been worth something? And now, all the lives he had taken away, what for? What had he got from them? Desperation and rage then began to gather in his being, which forced him to scream in anger and hopelessness. Did he have anything left that could help him get through his desperation?

The sad answer was a simple yet brutal no.

Resigned, the hunter then replied. "In a cave, Northwest of the lake." If she was going to end it all, all he could do was help her do so. He didn't want to live anymore, not knowing all the pain and suffering he had caused and been through.

Even without his answer, she knew where the hunter lay. They were connected now. It was irrevocable. So long as nobody with great mental barriers stood in her way, she could find him anywhere in the world. Melanie exhaled, finding her footing first before stumbling her way through the trees, making her way to the cave.

She didn't know what to expect when she found him. She didn't know what to do with him. He looked so human at that point. His pain was killing her, tearing at her very being. Melanie extended her mental barrier, prodding into his. She knew then what he felt and what he thought.

She dropped down next to him, knowing that the risk was great. He could turn on her and kill her within a second, and she simply didn't have the strength to fight anymore. Licking at her dry lips, she tried to form words with her mouth. She couldn't. Her empathetic nature wanted to rid him of the pain. She didn't know why, but it did.

I won't kill you. Even if I wanted to, I wouldn't be able to.

He glanced to his right as a shadow clouded the scarce sunlight coming into the cave. He recognized the outline of a woman and, just as he had decided, did nothing. He just sat there, head turned to the darkest part of the cave, and waited. Her presence disturbed him, but he had to accept it felt reassuring too. Eltiask sighed deeply as he clutched once more his knife. "What the hell is wrong with me?"

At this point, he felt something warm enter his mind and expand, covering the darkest areas of his being. Instinctively, he growled and then did nothing more. However, when she sat next to him, Eltiask growled once more and stood up swiftly, heading deeper into the cave. "Stop it." He then leaned on the wall and stared at the woman, his hands kept on playing with his knife as he did so. His eyes had locked on the woman, scanning her instinctively. For the first time in five years, his eyes shown their true color: a bright turquoise clouded by years of solitude, hysteria, and pain. He frowned a bit and then waited.

"If you don't kill me, sooner or later I will end up killing you. It's not as if I have a choice," The hunter had spoken lowly and firmly, though his voice was completely broken.

Melanie let out a low chuckle. We always have a choice. It may never actually seem like we do, but we do.

She looked to him. Her eyes returned to normal, but they contained the shadow of a world she was forced to face. As the pain in her body subsided, Melanie realized that despite her being in his presence, his mind did not inflict harm onto her as what usually happened in public. Strange.

"If you truly wanted to kill me, you would have done it already, so what's stopping you?" She watched him. She could see him in the dark. And she wondered. What had brought him here? What did the experiments do to him?

"Regardless of the threat you pose to me, I still will not kill you."

"What's stopping me?" Eltiask sighed deeply as he lowered his gaze to his hands which were still clutching his knife. He stared at it for a moment before he threw it right next to the woman. It was a gentle way of telling her he wasn't going to fight at all. "I'll tell you what's stopping me. I want you to end with all my suffering. I want you to kill me because you're the only one who can do it. It has to end this way. It's for the greater good."

The hunter then began to pace up and down the cave, his mind slowly slipping into a restless and vicious cycle of activity which truly tensed him up. First, it replayed his long-lost memories. Then, it would recall to his eyes all those deaths he had caused. Finally, he would sink into complete despair and hopelessness, just to start the cycle again.

"Don't you understand? If you don't end this right now, it will repeat itself. Just do it."

Melanie looked at the knife. With a flick of her hand, she mentally flung it into the cave wall, rejecting its presence and what it meant. "I want your suffering to end too," she mumbled, knowing full well that he could hear her despite that. "But I will not kill you."

She didn't believe that it was truly over for him. Not at all. A growth perhaps, but not an ending. She refused to believe it. She refused to believe that taking his life was the answer. She wouldn't be able to do it.

She found him again with her mind, entering. She wondered how healing worked when it was mental rather than physical. Melanie took a deep breath, drawing on the energy that only just entered her body, and sent him warmth. A little spark to combat his despair. I will not kill you, she sent again.

She kept on speaking to his mind, and he was starting to hate it. Eltiask inhaled deeply, trying desperately to control his whole being. His mind was telling him to snap her neck and end her life, but he was not going to do it. All that changed when he felt her entering his mind. Instinctively, the hunter built up mental walls, blocking her entrance. He turned around and stared at the woman, his eyes shining with a deep amber color, and then roared at her. "Just stop it, goddammit! Stop entering into my mind, stop recalling my memories! I don't need your pity, I need you to kill me!"

After saying so, the hunter stormed out of the cave. In his way out, he took his survival knife, sheathed it, and took his quiver. He swung it over his shoulders, strapped it, and then dashed out of the cave. He just needed to get away from her, he needed his solitude and his isolation.

Running through the forest had always managed to calm Eltiask down. However, this time he was searching for something. He needed his bow to feel complete. It was odd, since he needed not any weapon to kill, but he preferred to use one. He returned to the spot where everything had begun and found his bow lying motionless on the ground. He stared at it for a moment before taking it carefully. It was completely black, meant for stealthy approaches and no mistakes at all. If the hunter desired to, he could mount a laser targeting system for more accuracy. He smiled and closed the bow's limbs and hung it from his belt. "You know, you're the only one who truly understands me."

Melanie felt herself being expelled from Eltiask's mind, and did not bother to fight back. She watched him go, her back against the wall. She was alone. The darkness of the cave did not comfort her, nor did the sounds of nature. To be truthful, Melanie was afraid. The images of death, the screams, the anger, the blood, and the loneliness crept up, threatening to feed on her fear.

I will surely die here.

Falling asleep would provoke horrid nightmares. Leaving the cave would allow her to stumble on the decomposing bodies around the island. I have nowhere to go and no one to turn to.

She drew her knees up, hugging them. The survival pack was still on Mike's back. The blood... She could not go back there. Never. A panic attack was creeping up on her too, but Melanie fought it down. Survive one more night. One more day. Deep breaths. Even her night vision could not stop the demons coming to haunt her.

The hunter was walking through the forest aimlessly. He did not bother to stop when he saw the body of one of his victims, he just kept on walking. He sighed. He took his bow, flipped it open, and resumed his way. He stopped at a clearing, readied an arrow, and then shot at a nearby tree. The arrow flew directly to the trunk, making no noise at all. Once more, Eltiask sighed. "Why am I feeling this?" He shook his head and, not really wanting to, he reached out with his mind and touched hers. "There's food and some clothes at my shelter. I'll... I'll be waiting for you outside the cave."

He closed his mind and then began to make his way back to the cave. The sun danced happily over his head, lighting up the world Eltiask had seen so darkly before. Then, something clicked in his mind. He remembered, along with all those painful memories, his innocent dreams and motivations. The hunter smiled sadly, but commented nothing on it. It would take some time.

He arrived at the cave and then leaned on a nearby tree, bow folded and hanging from his belt and an arrow dancing in his hands. He simply waited.

Melanie looked up at the suggestion that entered her mind. To say that she felt a bit of relief was an understatement. Although it seems strangely sick to be grateful for help from the man who only minutes ago wanted to kill you. Melanie knew that for once, she should not believe in the goodness of people's hearts. For once she should be suspicious of such a quick change in heart.

The visions of her fallen companions entered her mind. Their screams filled her ears as she heard their final dying thoughts. She felt their pain and their death. She remembered everything too clearly. It was supposed to be a reminder of exactly why she should not listen to the hunter's suggestion. She should not be accepting his help.

But I don't want to be alone...

That was the catch. In the wilderness, all by herself, surrounded by death and pain, she would lose her mind if she was alone. She needed an anchor. Even if Eltiask wasn't an anchor, he was still somebody. If she stayed, her visions would eat her and her nightmares would surely eat her soul.

Tentatively, Melanie reached out with her mind first, brushing a thought against his. Eltiask. A call of sorts. Slowly, the woman made her way out of the cave, wincing at the sudden sunlight. Her gaze fell onto him, the man who confused her and frightened her. Somewhere, someone was asking her to save him.

Melanie wasn't sure of he wanted to be saved, but for now, he was saving her, and in return, she would try her best to do so as well.

"Thank you." It was a soft whisper, but she knew he could hear it.

The sun kept on shining brightly on the skies for it was only midday, which truly amazed the hunter. It felt like ages had passed since that morning in which he had a resolve to kill the last survivor from that strange plane crash. Now, all that was left of that predator were simple memories, obscured by the surging of all what the hunter was before what happened at the Navy had taken place. The arrow dancing in his hands started to move faster, pacing its dazzling performance with the hunter's heartbeat. After two seconds in which he had placed his gaze on the arrow, it fell to the ground, making a gentle thud when it collided on the forest's ground. The young man sighed silently and, as he was about to kneel down to pick up the fallen arrow, his eyes noticed movement at the cave's entrance. Instinctively, his left hand rushed to his survival knife and hovered over it. When the woman came out of the cave, his hands relaxed a little bit, though he was still tense as usual.

She thanked him, to which he replied with a silent nod. After doing so, he began walking to the island's center. His island was a small one, but it had some special features which had made it a perfect place for Eltiask to live in. It had a geographical elevation right on the middle, a vestige of a long-extinct volcano which had formed the island. It was because of this that the island had a small patch of pine forest and rainforest down below, right next to the beach. Eltiask's shelter was located right in the middle of the pine forest. He liked cold weather, and that was the best place he had found to live in. As he kept on walking, the flora around him began to change at a slow but steady pace. Enormous leaves fell behind to allow more bushes to crawl out of the ground, until these too disappeared. The rainforest trees soon disappeared as well, allowing more space for pine trees to come along. The weather transformed from a humid and warm breeze to chilling gusts of wind. At this point, Eltiask took a right and then headed straight. Soon enough, his shelter came into view.

The place he called home was a simple yet comfortable log cabin he had built by himself. After escaping the lab, he retained enough lucidity to stash in the boat he robbed basic tools to build a shelter, as well as his bow and some clothes and food. Thanks to that, he had been able to build himself his home. It was small, with two bedrooms, a small kitchen, a bathroom, and an even smaller living room. Just a single level, nothing more. Small and simple, just what he needed after all what had happened to him. He stopped for a moment and then turned around. "Welcome to my home. It's not much, but it has food and all what you would need."

The forest and land around her was beautiful. Amazing how quickly the view changes. Just a few hours ago, she was in a complete hell. One wrong turn, and she would have been killed, left for the soil to eat her as the plants took in her essence to stretch towards the sky or climb the nearest tree. But now, Melanie appreciated the vegetation and wildlife for what it was: heaven on earth for a National Geographic photographer.

This could have been an island like Aruba, filled with vacationers trying to catch a tan or a wave. It was beautiful, but even now, in its new found light, this rain forest would haunt her forever. With a frown, Melanie pushed the vicious thoughts away. instead, she focused on the man in front of her, still a puzzle, and as far as Melanie was concerned, a big giant question mark in terms of naughty or nice.

Despite that, she was following him to shelter.

You are one strange child, Melanie Lane. Always have been. Now you might be a dead strange child, but that doesn't seem to matter anymore, does it?

The house that came into view was not a large one. Nor was it of the same caliper as the homes shown in magazines about how wonderful the wilderness was. It was small and down to earth, made only of what was given. "It's not much, but it has all that you need." What did she need now? Survival was paramount, but it seemed ironic to be given shelter by her hunter. He is no longer a hunter her mind tried to reassure her. She needed her family. She needed answers. She needed to finish what she traveled to her supposed homeland for.

How am I supposed to finish that? I have to get back?

Staying alive would aid in getting back.

Melanie silenced her turbulent thoughts. "It doesn't have to be much. The fact that you are helping me is enough. Thank you again."

Once more, the hunter replied with a silent nod. Eltiask had gotten used to the silence reigning in his island so much that, most of the time, he remained silent. He walked forward and held the door opened for her to enter his house. With a lazy glance, he scanned his surroundings. He couldn't find any threat other than himself. This thought made him smile sadly. "Please make yourself comfortable. I'll go and get something to eat." He then closed the door gently and sprinted lightly into the forest.

Once he had made sure he was deep enough the forest, Eltiask leaned on a pine and sighed. This was just too much, and it was surely taking its toll on his body. "What am I doing?"

Melanie nodded her thanks as she entered the house. It was pristine, but she never expected anything less. Eltiask seemed like the sort of person to be meticulous and perfect. She knew now. After seeing his memories. Yes, he was the perfect killer, a trained assassin. A persona that messiness could not stand with. Perfect kill, perfect home. It was hard not to shudder as that particular thought crossed her mind. Melanie labeled the though as negative and then forced it away.

When he announced that he was off to find something to eat, Melanie remembered just how primal her entire situation was. Here, away from civilization, it was a kill-or-be-killed world. That thought brought another hard-fought shudder. Instead, she merely nodded at his announcement, saying "Okay," and watching him leave.

She was alone now, but still heard his question to the universe. She chuckled, not being able to help it. He wasn't alone in that thinking. Her mind and soul seemed to argue with each other, tugging at different sides of her, bringing her sanity into a frenzy. She sighed, sitting herself down on the floor, liking the feeling of being close to nature, even if the situation defied all that was natural and right in the world. She closed her eyes, hoping that at least now, she would be able to relax.

Screaming.

Blood.

Bodies falling.

Splattering.

The empty eyes of her past companions.

The tears.

Fear.

Death.

Melanie's eyes snapped open, but the room she was sitting in was gone. Instead, her memories came at her, attacking her weakened state, allowing the fear to feed on her. This was her curse. With all the gifts that she had, there was always a bad side. Even Superman had his kryptonite. Her's stemmed from the fact that she was empathetic with a perfect memory. She could never forget, and so she was haunted whenever she had the chance to be alone. She would hear the buzz and feel the memories of other people, and go crazy. She could never be in a crowd. Not without an anchor.

But now she was alone. No thoughts to bother her. But at the same time, none to distract her from reliving her horrific ordeal. "Please stop, she told herself. She focused on a point, making out the wall and rebuilding the house from there. Her concentration was intense, her stare nearly burning a hole in the wall. Slowly she drew herself out of it. But one thing was clear: she never wanted to be left alone in this place ever again.

Taking a deep breath, Eltiask pushed himself off the tree's trunk and unsheathed his survival knife, holding it steadily in his left hand. He began scanning his surroundings, trying to locate a deer or a calf to hunt. However, his mind wasn't allowing him such things. Memories from his younger years were flooding his cognitive processes, clouding his vision of the real world as he had known it for five long years. He was trapped inside his mind, without an escape plan or alternate approach. His breathing increased, to which Eltiask's body replied by making him sink on his knees. Whispers. All he could stutter were whispers. "Wh-Why now?!"

As soon as they had come, his memories disappeared, leaving him drained and covered in cold sweat. His survival knife was lying motionlessly in front of him. With shaky hands, he picked it up and raised his gaze, only to find a deer and a calf staring directly into his eyes. "It's the perfect opportunity. Go for the kill!" The calf took a step forward and locked his eyes with Eltiask's, freezing the hunter on his tracks. Those eyes... He could remember seeing them before. So much innocence were gathered in them he could almost touch them. Resigned, he picked up his survival knife, sheathed it, and disappeared again into the forest. "There's no way I'll be able to kill freely again."

He sulked into his house again empty handed, wondering what was he going to tell the woman about the food. With his right hand, he held his head. A persistent pain had appeared after his encounter with the deer in the forest which wasn't willing to disappear. He proceeded to let himself fall on the couch, placing his bow on the small table in front of it. "I just couldn't do it."

Her gaze remained on that on spot on the wall, anchoring herself to the world. Without moving or saying a word, Melanie reached out and felt the raw emotion and pain that filled the hunter's body. Her compassion went out to him. She let out a breath, drawing back into herself, not at all sorry about breaching his mind. Her questions would have never been answered if otherwise. "It's alright," she mumbled, standing up.

Melanie left the house and started into the forest, her brown eyes now a light amber as she used her given heat vision. While Eltiask was out, she had thought, trying to piece together what she learned on her trip, and wracking her brain for the slightest memories about what happened before she turned six. To remember made her physically sick, but she dealt with it. She and Eltiask were in the same boat. They both had abilities that no one else had. No, that wasn't true, there had to be others like her.

Melanie heard the shouting of little girls. There were definitely others like her.

She located a deer and approached it, her mind reaching out to the animal, her stomach protesting.

Sorry, she sent mentally to it.

For a moment it panicked, but Melanie quickly cut off its ability to control its body.

Her head started to hurt. Her eyes faded from amber to gold. She cut off its ability to feel pain.

Her head started to pound while her eyes turned silver. She applied pressure with her mind, cutting off the deer's life force, crushing its brain. It fell.

As her eyes returned to its normal state, Melanie was overcome with pain and her stomach to take it no more. She rushed over to the nearest tree and started to retch. There was no vomit, only coughing. It took a couple of minutes for the wave of sickness to pass. Melanie wiped the blood off her lips, her mind weary and her body exhausted.

Her theory had to be correct. She was experimented on, just like Eltiask. But unlike her companion, she was introduced to the program as a baby. The fighting lessons, the athletic training, the advanced education made sense. Even though she was let out of the program, she was still an experiment, observed most likely by the people around her. Her abilities enhanced her to be a super-soldier--the ultimate killer.

Melanie glanced at the dead deer on the ground. She was a killer now too. The taste of her own blood was still on her tongue. But then why did she get so physically sick around death? Was this a part of the experiment too? Questions to be pondered at a later time. Like how she was going to get home.

She shook herself out of it, looking at the deer again. Tears welled up. Suddenly, she didn't want to eat. She dropped to the ground, feeling weak. She couldn't even lift a rock with her mind.